Ceiling suspension with cable pathway

ABSTRACT

Combined ceiling support device and cable pathway, comprising a plurality of spaced apart junctions ( 3 ) arranged in a predetermined array above an area of a building, means ( 5, 15 ) for supporting said junctions ( 3 ), support means ( 6 ) connected to said junctions for forming a grid over said area, said support means adapted to support a multiplicity of ceiling tiles to form a ceiling for said area, and a multiplicity of cable ducts ( 1   a,    1   b,    2 ) extending between at least some of said junctions ( 3 ) for routing cable over said area.

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/285,192, filed on Apr. 20, 2001, which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Ceilings within a typical commercial office environment are generallyreferred to as dropped ceilings and form a barrier between the loweroffice space and the upper area. Standard sized ceiling tiles, usually2′×2′ or 2′×4,′ are supported on a matrix of inverted “T” grids that aresuspended from wires attached to a building's superstructure. Cables andwiring (hereafter referred to as cabling) are ordinarily installed abovehung ceilings and are used for a variety of purposes, such as electric,voice, and data transmission.

Cabling installed above a hung ceiling may result in a number ofundesirable circumstances. With digital signals, there is a potentialfor electrical interference from lighting fixtures, motors and othersources. Also, an installed cabling configuration above a droppedceiling is cumbersome to update and troubleshoot. Due to the difficultyin removing obsolete cabling, updated cabling installations aretypically added on to the existing cabling runs resulting in anever-increasing level of disorganization between the current andobsolete cable installations. This leads to increasing complexity andconfusion and a considerable disruption of service whenever updates orrepairs are necessary.

Furthermore, computer server rooms and data processing centers typicallyrequire cabling to be routed underneath raised floors. When cabling inother areas is installed above the ceiling, the overall configuration ofthe cabling system is convoluted. To facilitate the transition fromabove the ceiling to below the floor, special rooms (closets) are built.Cabling running above the overhead ceiling is routed down a closet walland then through the bottom of that wall into the space below theadjacent raised floor area. The cabling is then routed up throughopenings in the floor to and from racks of equipment.

Many different techniques have been proposed to inconspicuously hide orat least minimize the appearance of cabling which emanates from abovethe ceiling. In some cases the cabling is merely tacked to the wall orinstalled within metal or plastic surface conduits routed to the workareas. In more expensive installations, walls are constructed toaccommodate the separation of office spaces and the concealment of thecabling.

Cabling may also be routed down from the ceiling through vertical pipesto offices or cubicles that are isolated in the center of open areas bycorridors. In this case, the installation of electric outlets at desiredlocations requires extensive under-floor installation work, unsightlysurface and floor mounted conduits, or cumbersome rubber “thresholds.”In all cases the great expense of the cabling is further increased bythe disruption and/or displacement caused by a major installation orupgrade when an area is already occupied.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention avoids the drawbacks mentioned above by providinga matrix of ducts, which are readily accessible from beneath the ceilingand serve as a support mechanism for conventional ceiling tiles. Cablingof any description can be easily routed and/or rerouted in an orderlyfashion to virtually any location within an open office area and awayfrom interference (e.g. fluorescence and motors.)

In the preferred embodiment, the design of the ceiling results in aphysical structure that is stable in all directions and thus capable ofsupporting building elements, such as wall panels and doorways.

In addition to the cabling being easily directed from overhead, sparecabling for future expansion can be readily stored within the wallpanels so that an initial cabling configuration can endure for anextended period of time. Based upon reasonable estimates of futurebusiness needs, additional cabling is already installed whenreconfigurations are needed making the rerouting of cabling relativelysimple.

During installation planning all cabling can be catalogued by type orother designation. Because the invention provides a matrix of ductwork,a cable may be assigned to a particular pathway and thus be tracked by asimple coordinate system. Since all cabling is routed overhead,including server rooms and the like, there is no need to transition thecable from the ceiling to a space beneath the floor. As a result, thereis less need for closets and cabling from server racks, telephoneswitching equipment, and electrical sources can all be oriented overheadusing the overhead duct system.

The invention thus provides for an aesthetically pleasing andstandardized way to design and build office environments that aredurable and secure as well as easy to install, re-design, andreconfigure.

THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a top perspective view showing the invention as it mightappear within a representative room area;

FIG. 1B is a top perspective view showing how a junction in accordancewith a preferred embodiment may be connected to the buildingsuperstructure;

FIG. 1C-1 is a perspective view showing two junctions connected to thebuilding superstructure and a section of the ductwork in accordance witha preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1C-2 is an enlarged and exploded view of Detail A in FIG. 1C-1;

FIG. 1D is a top perspective view showing a larger section of apreferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 1E is a perspective view showing the cabling being introduced intothe ductwork;

FIG. 1F is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment showing how itis used to support wall panels and doors;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a section of the duct and junctionlinks in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2B-1 is an exploded view of the ductwork section shown in FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2B-2 is an enlarged view of Detail A in FIG. 2B-1;

FIG. 2C-1 is a perspective view showing a duct bottom connected betweentwo junction plates;

FIG. 2C-2 is an enlarged view of Detail D in FIG. 2C-1;

FIG. 2C-3 is a top plan view of the junction plates and duct bottomplate;

FIG. 2C-4 is a sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 2C-3;

FIG. 2C-5 is a sectional view along the line E-E of FIG. 2C-3;

FIG. 2C-6 is an enlarged view of Detail B in FIG. 2C-4;

FIG. 2C-7 is an enlarged view of Detail C in FIG. 2C-3;

FIG. 3A is an exploded view of a junction;

FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a junction;

FIG. 3C-1 is atop plan view of a junction;

FIG. 3C-2 is a sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 3C-1;

FIG. 4-1 is a top perspective view showing a single junction connectedto four pairs of junction links;

FIG. 4-2 is an enlarged perspective view showing Detail A in FIG. 4-1;

FIG. 4-3 is an enlarged perspective view showing Detail B in FIG. 4-1;

FIG. 5A-1 is side elevational view of one of the two rails used in thepreferred embodiment;

FIG. 5A-2 is a side elevational view of the other rail;

FIG. 5A-3 is a cross sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 5A-2;

FIG. 5A-4 is side sectional view along the line B-B of FIG. 5A-2;

FIG. 5A-5 is an enlarged view of Detail C in FIG. 5A-2;

FIG. 5A-6 is a perspective view of one of the rails;

FIG. 5A-7 is a perspective view of the other rail;

FIG. 5B is an exploded perspective view showing how the two rails areconnected to a junction;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view partially exploded view showing how one ofthe two pairs of rails is connected to a junction;

FIG. 7-1 is a side elevational view showing a rail, junction link andduct side panel in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7-2 is a sectional view along the line A-a of FIG. 7-1;

FIG. 7-3 is an enlarged of Detail B in FIG. 7-2;

FIG. 7-4 is a perspective of the structure illustrated in FIG. 7-1;

FIG. 8A-1 is side elevational view showing a cable management deviceconnected to a rail and junction link;

FIG. 8A-2 is a sectional along the line A-A of FIG. 8A-1;

FIG. 8A-3 is an enlarged view of Detail B in FIG. 8A-2;

FIG. 8A-4 is an enlarged view of Detail C in FIG. 8A-2;

FIG. 8A-5 is an enlarged view of Detail D in FIG. 8A-1;

FIG. 8B is a perspective showing how a cable management device arrangesthe cabling;

FIG. 8C is a perspective view showing the relationship of the cablemanagement device and the pairs of rail and junction links betweenadjacent junctions;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view showing how an end ceiling tile issupported with respect to a building wall;

FIG. 9B-1 is a front elevational view showing the support mechanism forthe end tile;

FIG. 9B-2 is a sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 9B-1;

FIG. 9B-3 is an enlarged view of Detail B in FIG. 9B-2;

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a rail termination bracket inaccordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 10B-1 is a side elevational view showing a rail connected to a railtermination bracket;

FIG. 10B-2 is a sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 10B-1;

FIG. 10C is a perspective showing a single rail supported at an end withrespect to an existing wall;

FIG. 11-1 is a perspective view showing how a junction is supported whenexisting ductwork interferes with its connection to the buildingsuperstructure;

FIG. 11-2 is an enlarged view of Detail A of FIG. 11-1;

FIGS. 12-1 is a top plan view of a post in accordance with a preferredembodiment;

FIG. 12-2 is an exploded view showing how a post is connected to ajunction at its upper end and the floor at its lower end;

FIG. 12-3 is an enlarged view of Detail A of FIG. 12-2;

FIG. 12-4 is a top plan view of the plate that goes at the top of thepost;

FIG. 12-5 is an enlarged view of Detail B of FIG. 12-2;

FIG. 12-6 is a plan view of a turntable used to connect the bottom ofthe post to the floor;

FIG. 12-7 is an enlarged view of Detail C of FIG. 12-6;

FIG. 13A-1 is a perspective view showing a wall panel frame between twoposts;

FIG. 13A-2 is an enlarged view of Detail A of FIG. 13A-1;

FIG. 13B-1 is a perspective view of a wall panel frame having cablingreels connected thereto;

FIG. 13B-2 is a perspective view showing one of the cabling reels;

FIG. 13B-3 is an enlarged view of Detail B of FIG. 13B-1;

FIG. 14-1 is a top cross sectional view showing a preferred device forcoupling the two wall panel frames to a post;

FIG. 14-2 is a perspective of a locking device for securing a door panelframe to a post;

FIG. 14-3 is an exploded view of the locking device shown in FIG. 14-2;

FIG. 15-1 is an exploded view of a wall panel surface in accordance withthe preferred embodiment;

FIG. 15-2 is an enlarged view of Detail A of FIG. 15-1;

FIG. 15-4 is a rear elevational view of a wall panel surface;

FIG. 15-5 is an enlarged view of Detail B of FIG. 15-4;

FIG. 15-6 is a front elevational view of the floor molding of the wallpanel surface;

FIGS. 15-7 is a front elevational view of another version of the floormolding;

FIG. 16A-1 is an exploded view of a wall panel in accordance with apreferred embodiment;

FIG. 16A-2 is an enlargement view of Detail A of FIG. 16A-1;

FIG. 16A-3 is an enlarged view of Detail B of FIG. 16A-1;

FIG. 16A-4 is a perspective view of an assembled wall panel and posts;

FIG. 16B-1 is a top plan view of a wall panel assembly;

FIG. 16B-2 is a sectional view along the line of A-A of FIG. 16B-1;

FIGS. 16B-3 is an enlarged view of Detail B of FIG. 16B-2;

FIG. 17A is a perspective view of a door frame and door;

FIG. 17B is an exploded view of the door frame and door shown in FIG.17A;

FIG. 17C-1 is a top plan view of the door frame saddle;

FIG. 17C-2 is an enlarged view of Detail A of FIG. 17C-1;

FIG. 17D-1 is a perspective view of a panel latch in accordance with apreferred embodiment;

FIG. 17-2 is a perspective view of a doorframe latch in accordance witha preferred embodiment;

FIG. 17E-1 is a perspective view of a door stop;

FIG. 17E-2 is a perspective view of a saddle end;

FIG. 17E-3 is a plan view of the backside of the stop;

FIG. 17F is an exploded view showing the relationship of the upper doorpanel assembly, post and junction rails;

FIG. 17G-1 is a perspective view showing the upper doorframe;

FIG. 17G-2 is an enlarged view of Detail A of FIG. 17G-1;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a partial hung ceiling attached torail;

FIG. 19A is a perspective view showing how the ends of the rails, ductsand junction links are supported with respect to a building wall;

FIG. 19B is an exploded view of the construction showing FIG. 19A;

FIG. 20A-1-a is a perspective view showing the interconnection betweenan end panel frame and a building wall;

FIG. 20A-2 is a rear plan view of how the end panel is supportedrelative to the building wall;

FIG. 20B is an exploded perspective view showing the end panel frameassembly;

FIG. 21A is a perspective view showing a wired server rack; and

FIG. 21B is a perspective view showing a wired vertical post connectedto a portion of the ductwork.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention may be thought of as comprising three basic components.First is the structural support, which is a situated primarily above thetraditionally hung ceiling level and provides a stable support for theductwork, the ceiling and the wall system.

Second is the duct matrix which is the actual structure which supportsthe overhead cabling runs within the building area and, in the preferredembodiment, is positioned just below the traditional hung ceiling level.

The third element is a wall panel system comprising an arrangement ofpanels and doorways extending downwardly from the duct matrix to thefloor.

General Layout

FIG. 1A illustrates a top perspective view of a building area showing amatrix of cabling ducts 1, cabling 9, ceiling tiles 14, and a pluralityof posts 18 and wall panels 23 in accordance with a preferred embodimentof the invention.

The invention contemplates an array of ductwork that may service theentire ceiling of the area, or only a section of the ceiling, with therest consisting of a conventional hung ceiling. Posts 18 and panels 23permit an office area to be dynamically divided into individual officesor cubicles, eliminating the problems associated with the combination ofunder and above floor cabling, as will become more apparent from thefollowing detailed descriptions.

FIG. 1B shows the elements involved in the vertical support of theinvention according to a preferred embodiment. A support rod 5 isattached to an I Beam 16, which represents one possible support elementof a building's infrastructure. In use, the upper spring latch 15 issecurely fastened to I Beam 16, or other building support member. Thepre-measured support rod 5 is inserted and secured into the upper springlatch 15 and then extended downwards through the lower spring latch 3 gand into the upper junction bracket hole 3 f by about three inches (forexample). Junction 3 is adjusted up and down until the ceiling tiles 14are vertically level to other already positioned junctions 3 byreleasing and applying the tension of the lower spring latch 3 g. Rails6 and 7, as well as the junctions 3 and links 2 constitute the skeletalframework of the ceiling matrix to be discussed in detail in thefollowing sections.

FIGS. 1C-1 and IC-2 provide a more detailed representation of theceiling assembly illustrating the I Beam 16 supporting a “T” shapedsection of the ceiling duct matrix. Support rods 5 are attached withspring latches 15 to the I Beam 16 and then to the actual ductwork byspring latches 3 h on the junctions 3. The junctions 3 are attached tothe rails 6 and 7 and to the links 2 forming the framework for the ductsides 1 a. The detail view A, showing the hidden lines of the drawing,illustrates the junction lower plate 3 b and its attachment to the links2 and to the junction tube 3 a.

FIG. 1D is an above ceiling-level perspective view illustrating thecombined structural elements of the invention. An I Beam 16 represents aportion of the superstructure of a typical office building. A smallsection of standard drywall 11 is positioned on one side, at what wouldbe the perimeter of an office area. Three ceiling tiles 14 are depictedto provide a sense of height. The invention creates rigid horizontalstability by means of a matrix of perpendicular rails 6 and 7 that arepop riveted together and then suitably fastened to wall support brackets10, which is attached to the wall 111 around the entire perimeter of aroom. A junction 3 is pop riveted to the rails 6 at every intersectionof rails 6 and 7. The bottom of junctions 3 are riveted to junctionlinks 2, forming a lower structural matrix, similar to and essentiallybelow the matrix formed by rails 6 and 7. In practice, the rail andjunction link matrices extend to all perimeter walls of the installedarea. Vertical stability (both up and down) is provided by support rods5, which are attached at their upper end to the building'sinfrastructure, in this case I Beam 16, and at their lower ends tojunctions 3.

The duct matrix (FIG. 1E) is formed by duct sides 1 a which are attachedto the rails 6 and 7 at the top and to the junction links 2 at thebottom. Overhead cabling runs 9 within the office area enter the ductsassemblies from above and are guided to their destination within theduct matrix.

FIG. 1F is a perspective view of the invention's use to providestructural support for the attachment of wall panels 23, a door assembly24, a wall panel frame 20 with cabling reels 20 a, and a cut-to-sizewall panel 23 a that fits the wall system to the perimeter dry wall 11.Posts 18, attached to the bottom of junctions 3 and junction links 2create a stable frame to firmly integrate wall panels and doors.

In the preferred embodiment, it is contemplated that a number of thepanel frames 20 will be cabled. Cabling reels 20 a, which easily attachto panel frames 20, are used to archive cabling for future use or as aterminal point where telephone and data processing equipment can beconnected. The invention allows for the integration of cabling 9directly to any and all wall panels within the business environment.Cabling 9, emanating from different locations, is routed through theduct matrix to planned work areas. Stores of cabling, in cabling reels20 a, are located within the wall system ready for later plannedexpansion.

Duct and Junction Links

FIGS. 2A and 2B-1 show perspective and exploded views of a U-shaped ductassembly 1 that is made up of three removable sections; namely, two ductvertical panels 1 a and one duct horizontal panel 1 b. The duct verticalpanel 1 a is positioned and supported on its bottom surface by threetabs 2 a located on the top surface 2 b of junction link 2 that alignwith and insert into three slots 1 c (detail A) on horizontal panels 1a.

The duct horizontal panel 1 b is only used in the absence of a wallpanel 23 (FIGS. 16A and 16B) being installed underneath. The ducthorizontal 1 b panel is supported on both ends by the bottom junctionplate 3 b. Cross section AA, shown in FIG. 2C-4, Details B and C,illustrate the manner in which the duct panel 1 b essentially sets ontop of junction lower plate 3 b. When integrated with the junction links2 (FIG. 2A) the panel 1 b is held securely in place. Cross section EEprovides an end view of the duct horizontal 1 b panel in relation to thejunction lower plate 3 b. Given the design of the duct assembly 1, allduct panels can be easily removed to provide access to the interior ofthe duct itself.

Junctions

FIG. 3A is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of a junction 3,which is a structural element within the invention's ceilingsuperstructure. When posts 18 (FIG. 12) and wall panels 23 (FIG. 16A-4)are employed the junction provides stability to the entire wall panelsystem. The junction in combination with junction links 2 (FIG. 4-1,)forms a horizontal structural matrix that provides support to theoverall ceiling and wall panels 23 (FIG. 16B.)

The construction of each junction 3 includes a metal center tube 3 athat is welded perpendicular to both a bottom junction plate 3 b and atthe top to an inverted U-shaped upper junction bracket 3 c. The bottomjunction plate 3 b and the lower half of tube 3 a include a threadedcenter hole 3 e, which extends upwards through the lower half of thetube FIG. 3B) into which a plastic filler cap (not shown) or a jackscrew10 (FIG. 12) may be installed. The upper junction bracket 3 c has acenter hole 3 f, which aligns with the center hole in tube 3 a, and thathole 3 g (FIG. 3B) extends downwards through the upper half of tube 3 a.Extending upwards from the top of the upper junction bracket 3 c is aspring latch 3 h that is riveted at 4 through spring latch hole 3 j intoupper junction bracket hole 3 h. The spring latch is used to secure thejunction vertically to the building superstructure via vertical supportrod 5 (FIGS. 1B and 1C.) Holes 3 n in bottom junction plate 3 b are usedto fasten links 2 to junction 3 (FIG. 4-3).

In FIG. 3C-2 the junction 3 is sectioned along line AA to illustrate theinner physical makeup of the junction tube 3 a relative to the otherjunction parts.

In FIG. 4-1 the junction 3 and junction links 2 are shown assembled. Ahole 2 c in each end of the junction link 2 is aligned with theappropriate hole 3 n injunction 3 (FIG. 4-3) and then secured with poprivets. Each junction is connected to eight junction links, two paralleljunction links radiating outwards from each of the junction's foursides.

Rails

The rails 6 (FIG. 5A-2) and 7 (FIG. 5A-1) are the primary supportelements in the preferred embodiment. From above, the rails are attachedto the building's superstructure and, from below, to junction 3. Therails also provide support for all ceiling tiles. FIG. 5A-3 illustratesthe profile of the single-walled section 6 g and FIG. 5A-4 illustratesthe profile of the double-walled section of rail 6. Protrusion 6 asupports the ceiling tiles 14 (FIG. 1D,) much like the flanges of anordinary hung ceiling inverted “T.” The slot 6 b captures and supportsthe top of duct vertical panel 1 a when installed, as illustrated inFIG. 7-3, and flange 6 c facilitates the alignment of duct verticalpanel 1 a during installation. The cavity 6 d within rail 6 allows forthe installation of a rail-terminating fixture 12 (FIG. 10A) thatprovides a rigid horizontal attachment of the end of each rail sectionto an existing surrounding wall. Folds 6 e create rigidity across thetwo single-walled sections 6 g and protrusion 6 f stops ceiling tilesfrom popping up from a change in room air pressure when a door isslammed or moved abruptly.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a rail 6 and a rail 7 illustratingtheir relationship to one another. Throughout this paper rail 6 isgenerally shown as a single-length section although in practice it wouldbe manufactured in greater lengths. Protrusion 6 a supports the ceilingtiles 14, as mentioned earlier. Rails 6 and 7 are connected togetherwhen holes 7 a, in flanges 7 b at the ends of perpendicular rails 7, arepositioned and secured with pop rivets within holes 6 h in rail section6.

FIG. 6 shows a junction 3 and rail 6. Junction 3 pop riveted to the endsof two adjacent rail 6 sections essentially forms a contiguous railsegment. To attach junction 3 to rail 6, the insides of holes 3 m inupper junction bracket 3 c are aligned with the outside holes 6 j of thesingle-walled section 6 g of the rail 6 and pop rivets are installed.This attachment positions two rails 6 parallel at the appropriatedistance apart to align the top of duct panel 1 a with slot 6 b (FIG.7-3,) when later installed.

As the ceiling grid is installed, junctions 3 and rails 6 and 7 continueto be attached together, as already described, to form the duct supportmatrix. This process is repeated until all rail sections and junctionsare securely fastened together. In practice, during initialinstallation, the connected sections of rails and adjoining junctionswould be temporarily suspended from a building superstructure withconventional hung ceiling wires until the permanent support structure isinstalled and leveled, as described in FIGS. 1B and 1C.

FIG. 7-2 shows the upper edge of duct vertical panel 1 a inserted intothe slot 6 b in rail 6 that is used to position the panel. A junctionlink 2 is shown with tabs 2 a inserted into slot 1 c (FIG. 7-2) as themeans of fastening duct vertical panel 1 a from the bottom.

Cable Management

FIG. 8A-2 is a cross sectional view of the cabling support bracket 8,used for supporting cabling within each duct section 1, in combinationwith two junction links 2 and two rails 6. As indicated in detail B theupper arms 8 a of cabling support bracket 8 are positioned over the topand on the outside of upper rail members 6 (or 7.) In FIG. 8A-4 thebottom cabling support flanges 8 b essentially capture the upper outeredges of each junction link 2. The cabling support bracket 8 is nowcaptured on its bottom flanges 8 b by the junction links 2 and on top byits arms 8 a on the outside of the two rails 6 or 7. To allow room forthe duct vertical panels 1 a to be installed over the cabling supportbrackets, the tab shoulder 2 d on the junction link tab 2 a (FIG. 8A-5)provides for adequate clearance between the duct vertical panel 1 a andthe junction link 2 for the installation of the cable management fixture8.

FIG. 8B shows cabling 9, possibly emanating from another floor or anadjacent area, as being routed into and through the appropriate cablingsupport bracket members 8 c. FIG. 8C is a perspective view of thecabling support fixture 8 attached to rails 6 via upper arms 8 a andonto links 2 by means of bottom flanges 8 b.

End Tile Angle

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the wall support bracket 10 attached toa section of ordinary dry wall 11 and supporting a ceiling tile 14 bymeans of the end tile angle 6 m. The wall support bracket 10 isinstalled level and at the appropriate height around the perimeter of aroom. Once installed, the wall support bracket provides the means forhorizontally attaching the end tile angle 6 m, which supports cut orwhole ceiling tile segments that abut the wall surface.

FIG. 9B-2 shows the manner in which the end tile angle 6 m isessentially hooked onto the wall support bracket 10 (FIG. 9B-3.)

Rail Termination

FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a rail termination bracket 12. Railtabs 12 a insert into the cut-off rail ends at the wall. Tab spacer 12 baligns the tabs 12 a horizontally with the rails 6 or 7, at theappropriate width. A vertical support arm 12 c positions the tabs 12 aat the right height to engage the rails 6 and 7. The wall supportbracket slot 12 d engages the wall support bracket 10 to providedefinitive end support.

FIG. 10B-2 shows the insertion of rail termination bracket rail tab 12 ainto cavity 6 d at the end of rail 6.

Upon installation (FIG. 10C) to “fit” the rail matrix to the exact roomsize, a pair of adjacent rail sections 6 or 7 (only one cut-off railsection 6 k showing) are measured and cut to fill the void from the lastwhole pair of rail sections, emanating from the center of the room, tothe wall support bracket 10. The rail termination bracket rail tabs 12 aare then inserted into cavities 6 d at the cut off end of rail 6 k (FIG.10B-2) The rail termination bracket 12 is latched downwards onto thewall support bracket 10 (see FIG. 9B-3) and the uncut ends of rails 6 fare aligned with the existing contiguous whole rail 6 sections. Once inposition, the uncut ends of rails 6 f are pop riveted to the uncut rails6 and the junction 3 as described in FIG. 6. The cut ends of rails 6 fare then drilled and pop riveted to the rail termination bracket 12. Therail termination bracket 12 is screwed into the wall support bracket 10thus stabilizing the ceiling grid and ductwork matrix in the horizontalplane.

Junction Support Bar

FIG. 11-1 shows the solution for when an HVAC duct 13 a or the likeobstructs the space above a junction 3 and a support rod 5 cannot beinstalled. A horizontal support bar 13 is secured at each end by a boltfastened into the hole 3 p within the two adjacent and “rodless”junctionspring latches 3 h thus vertically stabilizing the center junction 3.

Post and Jackscrew

A jackscrew 17 is screwed into the center hole in junction lower plate 3c of junction 3. A bolt-like hexagon protrusion 17 a at its bottom isused to secure post 18. FIG. 12-2 shows a sectioned perspective view ofthe top and bottom of post 18. A flat top post plate 18 a with a hexagoncenter hole 18 b is fastened to the top of the post by installing screws18 c into screw bosses 18 d (FIG. 12-5). A lower post plate 18 e, with acentral “turntable” 18 f, is fastened in a like fashion to the postbottom. During installation of the post, the hexagon protrusion 17 a atthe bottom of the jackscrew 17 is aligned with and inserted into hexagonhole 18 b in top post plate 18 a. With the post positioned plumbvertically, post 18 is rotated to unscrew and extend jackscrew 17 untilthe post is firmly locked down in place on the turntable 18 f betweenjunction 3 and the floor 19. The surface protrusions 18 g on turntable18 f are made of rigid rubber so that if the floor surface is carpeting,the protrusions will capture the carpet nap when downwards pressure isapplied. In the event that the floor is rigid, for example wood or tile,the protrusions will compress when the post is extended, essentiallylocking the post bottom in place by friction.

Panel Frame

FIG. 13A-1 illustrates the means to position all posts equidistant andsquare to one another. A panel frame 20 is installed between eachadjacent pair of posts 18, already installed as outlined above. In FIG.13-1 one post 18 is shown at a distance from panel frame 20. Inpractice, the position of both posts tops would already be positioned bythe fixed distance between ceiling matrix junctions, which locate thejackscrew engagement to the post top as illustrated in FIG. 12. Thepanel frame would actually be in close proximity to both adjacent postswhen installed. Once positioned between the posts, the panel latches 21(details in FIG. 14) are engaged and tightened to draw the posts 18precisely in line to the panel frame 20, thus squaring the alignment ofposts 18 to one another. Prior to final tightening, the panel frame 20is slid solidly down (stepped upon) to floor level (not shown) to befixed in place either by (1) the friction of a rubber bottom strip ortwo-sided tape on a solid surface, (2) a carpet engaging strip for acarpeted surface, or (3) nails or screws through holes in the panelframe bottom into the floor. The panel latches are now fully tightened.

In FIG. 13B-1 a number of cabling reels 20A are installed into panelframe 20. The cabling reels are attached to the frame 20 by insertingthe rivet-like reel latch 20 f into the round segment of keyhole slot 20g (FIG. 13B-3) and sliding the latch downwards thus securing the latchin the slot portion of 20 g.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each panel frame 20 islatched securely to adjacent posts 18. The locking mechanism is shown inFIG. 14-1. The panel latch 21 comprises a locking cam 21 a and a knobwith a threaded shaft 21 b that is threaded into the cam 21 a. Theassembly is integrated into the panel frame 20 by means of holes drilledinto the outer panel frame supports 20 a. Prior to the installation of apanel frame 20 to adjacent posts 18, the locking cam 21 a is screwedtight up against the surface between ridges 20 c on the panel frameouter supports 20 a. This is done to clear the post surfaces when thepanel frame is initially inserted between them. Once the panel frame ispositioned between the posts, the latch is unscrewed via the latch knob21 b allowing the cam 21 a to be projected between and beyond the edgesof the post slot 18 h formed by post flanges 18 j. Once beyond the postflanges 18 j, the knob 21 b is rotated in the opposite directionallowing the cam 21 a to rotate and be positioned behind the postflanges 18 j. As the knob is tightened, the surface of post 18 is drawnsecurely against the side surface of the panel frame 20.

Wall Panels

Each wall panel includes a frame 20 and two wall panel surfaces 22. Eachsurface 22 (FIGS. 15-1 to 15-7) is composed of a decorative outer layerof rigid fire resistant material 22 a and a bonded core 22 b of sounddeadening material. Precut holes 22 c, located at the near bottom andcenter of the assembly accommodate the installation of two quad outletsfor connectivity to cabling from within the wall panel. Shown at thebottom of wall panel surface 22 is a removable metal floor molding 22 dthat essentially matches the post design and provides matching quadoutlet holes. When the panel quad outlets are not used, floor-molding 22e is installed. On each side and in the middle of the interior surfaceare three vertical panel latching angles 22 f that provide wall panelrigidity and latch tabs 22 g to attach the wall surface panels securelyto the panel frame 20 (FIGS. 13A-1 and 13B-1.)

FIG. 16A-1 shows the three-part construction of wall panel assembly 23consisting of two wall panel surfaces 22 and a panel frame 20. Once apanel frame 20 is locked in place to adjoining posts 18, each panelsurface 22, in succession, is centrally positioned against and slightlyabove the panel frame 20 and between the inner vertical surfaces of theadjacent junction links 2 (FIG. 16B-2.) The Panel surface 22 is thenslid downwards latching the panel latching tabs 22 f into the latchingslots 20 d located on the three vertical surfaces of the panel frame 20.

FIG. 16B-1 is a top view of the panel assembly 23 and panel frame 20installed with two junction lower plates 3 b and posts 18. FIG. 16B-2shows the wall panel (23 and 20) engaged between the inner surfaces oftwo supporting links 2.

Doorframe and Door

The invention preferably uses 3′ by 3′ ceiling tiles throughout toprovide adequate dimensional clearance between posts 18 to accommodatefull-sized doors. FIG. 17A shows an assembled view of a doorframe 24positioned between posts 18, in place of a panel frame 20 and wallpanels 23.

FIG. 17B is an exploded view of the doorframe made up of: (1) a verticalhinge surface 24 a, (2) a horizontal saddle 24 b, (3) a vertical doorlatch surface 24 c, (4) a horizontal upper doorframe 24 d, and (5) anupper door panel 24 e to cover the opening formed above the upper doorframe 24 d.

In FIG. 17C-1, the horizontal saddle 24 b is installed between posts 18(only one shown) by inserting tabs 24 f into post slots 18 j andpositioning the bottom of the saddle on the floor (not shown.) Thesaddle 24 b can be fastened to the floor (1) using nails or screws, or(2) held in place by two-sided tape on its undersurface, or (3) fixed inplace by a rubber strip on its underside combined with downwardspressure when the vertical hinge surface 24 a and the vertical doorlatch surface 24 c are locked in place.

The vertical hinge 24 a and latch 24 c surfaces are latched in placeusing latches 24 g, a variation of panel latch 21 (FIG. 17D-1) made upof which employs an Allen screw 24 h and a smaller cam 24 j instead of aknob and threaded shaft (FIG. 17D-2.) Latches are installed into postslots 18 j following the procedure outlined in FIG. 14.

In FIG. 17E-1 two vertical doorstops 24 k are installed over Allenscrews 24 h on latches 24 g by positioning circular cutouts 24 m overheads 24 n and sliding doorstop inner slots 24 o down onto Allen screwshoulder 24 p while positioning the bottom of doorstop 24 k into cutout24 q in each end of saddle 24 b.

FIG. 17F shows an exploded view from the bottom of upper doorframe 24 d,positioned above the two vertical doorstops 24 k. The cut outs 24 r (seeFIG. 17G-1,) at each end of the upper doorframe 24 d, are lowered andpositioned over the top ends of doorstops 24 k until surface 24 sengages the tops of both doorstops 24 k. The panel latches 21 on eachend of upper doorframe 24 d are unscrewed and projected into post slot18 j and then tightened as the upper doorframe 24 d is pressed downagainst doorstops 24 k, locking them in place.

The upper door panel 24 t is essentially made up of a sound absorbinginner core and two fire-resistant outer surfaces. The upper door panel24 t is positioned between posts 18 and is slid upwards until its upperouter surfaces are positioned between the inner surfaces 2 e of thejunction link 2 and its lower edge is centered above the horizontalupper doorframe 24 d. The upper door panel 24 e is then lowered in placebetween the flanges 24 u of upper doorframe 24 d.

Once the doorframe assembly 24 is installed, the lift-off hinge segments24 v on door 24 m are aligned with the hinge segments 24 w and the dooris lowered into place.

Partial Ceiling

As mentioned above, the invention can be used in different ways. It ispossible for an entire ceiling to be covered by the ductwork, in whichcase ceiling tiles 14 a are simply dropped onto the flanges 6 a and/or 7a of contiguous rails 6 and/or 7. In some cases, it may be desirable tocombine the ductwork matrix with an existing or new hung ceiling. Forexample, this may apply to the situation in which there is a ceilingarea where in which it is unlikely that there would be a need for acabling infrastructure and/or wall panels. Also, it may be practical toretrofit a single channel into and across an existing hung ceiling tofacilitate the routing of cabling through an area. FIG. 18 shows ceilingtiles 14 a and standard T-grid railings 23 positioned on rail rims 6 cjust as T-grid railings of a hung ceiling are positioned on conventionalwall angles (not shown) installed around the perimeter of an officearea.

Structural Sizing to Area

It is a requirement to be able to fit the installation to the actualdimensions of an office area. The rails 6 and 7, duct panels 1 a and 1b, and junction links 2 can be readily cut to size. The perspectiveviews of FIGS. 19A and 19B (exploded) illustrate a cut-off assembly ofthe aforementioned components (rail 6 only) properly affixed to the wallsupport bracket 10 and section of dry wall 11 by means of a railtermination bracket 12. An end hanger bracket 28 supports the cut endsof the assemblies and installs in a similar fashion as the cablingsupport bracket 8 indicated in FIG. 8A to 8C. Once in position, bracket28 is pop riveted in place.

To accommodate the sizing of wall panels to a room's perimeter an endpanel frame 29 (FIGS. 20A-1, 20A-2, and 20B) is used, which is avariation of the panel frame 20. The end panel frame 29 can be easilycut to size. An end wall member 30 is positioned and affixed to asection of dry wall 11 using conventional attachment hardware. The panelframe upper horizontal members 29 a and lower horizontal member 29 b arecut to size and positioned with their cut side fitted to the end wallbracket 30. The post side 29 c of the end panel frame 29 is attached topost 18 in the same fashion as the installation of the panel frame 20depicted in FIG. 13A. The cut sections of panel frame 29 a and 29 b aredrilled and pop riveted to the end wall bracket 30. Cut to size panelsurfaces 22 and floor moldings 22 e are then installed in a fashionsimilar to FIG. 16A.

A direct benefit of the invention is the ability to maintain all cablingoverhead but not over the ceiling. In the case of a computer or serverroom, cabling emanating from equipment can be guided upward into theopenings at the bottom of the ductwork for distribution throughout theoffice space (FIG. 21A). No expensive raised floors or under floorrouting of the cable is needed.

It may also be desirable to simply direct the cabling downwardly to thefloor or to furniture without the installation of the posts 18 or wallpanels 23. In such a case, a vertical column 32 (FIG. 21B) may beprovided into which the cabling 9 can be directed. Suitable connectorson the column are provided to interface the cabling with equipment.

Although preferred embodiments have been illustrated and described inthis application, numerous modications of the invention arecontemplated. In the preferred embodiment, the ceiling tiles are mountedin rails extending between adjacent junctions. It is also possible thatthe ceiling tiles may be supported on the junctions or on the cablingductwork extending between the junctions. Likewise, in the currentlypreferred embodiment, the ductwork extends down from the ceiling tiles,but the position of the ducts relative to the ceiling tiles is notcritical. The illustrated preferred embodiment provides certainstructural and cost benefits, but many different arrangements arepossible which would provide strutural support for a hung ceiling and acabling pathway in accordance with the invention.

1. A combined ceiling support device and cable pathway, comprising aplurality of spaced apart junctions arranged in a predetermined arrayabove an area of a building, means for supporting said junctions,support means connected to said junctions for forming a grid over saidarea, said support means adapted to support a multiplicity of ceilingtiles to form a ceiling for said area, and a multiplicity of cable ductsextending between at least some of said junctions for routing cable oversaid area.
 2. A combined ceiling support device and cable pathwayaccording to claim 1, wherein each of said junctions includes a firstmember for supporting said support means and a second member forsupporting said ducts.
 3. A combined ceiling support device and cablepathway according to claim 2, further including junction links connectedbetween adjacent junctions beneath said ducts.
 4. A combined ceilingsupport device and cable pathway according to claim 3, wherein saidsecond member is a plate and said ducts and junction links are attachedto the plates of said junctions.
 5. A combined ceiling support deviceand cable pathway according to claim 2, wherein said ducts and supportmeans are connected to each other.
 6. A combined ceiling support deviceand cable pathway according to claim 5, wherein said support meanscomprises rails including downwardly facing U-shaped sections forreceiving the upper ends of said ducts.
 7. A combined ceiling supportdevice and cable pathway according to claim 3, wherein a pair ofjunction links extend between adjacent junctions.
 8. A combined ceilingsupport device and cable pathway according to claim 1, wherein wallpanels are provided between selected junctions.
 9. A combined ceilingsupport device and cable pathway according to claim 1, including a postextending downwardly from at least some of said junctions to the floorof the building.
 10. A combined ceiling support device and cable pathwayaccording to claim 9, wherein wall panels are provided between selectedposts, and wherein at least some of said wall panels are adapted toreceive cabling from said cable ducts and include terminals forconnection to the cabling.
 11. A combined ceiling support device andcable pathway according to claim 7, wherein said ducts comprise twovertical plates attached to respective junction links of a pair ofjunction links.
 12. A combined ceiling support device and cable pathwayaccording to claim 11, wherein the ducts further include bottom platesextending between at least some of the junctions.
 13. A combined ceilingsupport device and cable pathway, comprising a plurality of spaced apartjunctions arranged in a predetermined array above an area of a building,means for supporting said junctions on the superstructure of thebuilding, a plurality of posts connected to at least some of saidjunctions and extending to the floor, first and second pairs oftransverse rails connected to said junctions and forming a grid oversaid area, said rails adapted to support a multiplicity of ceiling tilesto form a ceiling for said area, and a multiplicity of cable ductsextending between at least some of said junctions beneath saidtransverse rails for routing cable over said area.
 14. A combinedceiling support device and cable pathway according to claim 13, whereineach of said junctions includes an upper member for supporting saidpairs of rails and a lower member for supporting said ducts.
 15. Acombined ceiling support device and cable pathway according to claim 14,further including junction links connected between adjacent junctionsbeneath said ducts.
 16. A combined ceiling support device and cablepathway according to claim 15, wherein a pair of junction links extendbetween adjacent junctions and said ducts are attached to the upperportions of said junction links.
 17. A combined ceiling support deviceand cable pathway according to claim 16, wherein said lower member is aplate and said ducts and junction links are attached to the plates ofsaid junctions.
 18. A combined ceiling support device and cable pathwayaccording to claim 14, wherein said ducts and rails are connected toeach other.
 19. A combined ceiling support device and cable pathwayaccording to claim 18, wherein said rails include downwardly facingU-shaped sections for receiving the upper ends of said ducts.
 20. Acombined ceiling support device and cable pathway according to claim 16,wherein wall panels are provided between selected junctions, the tops ofsaid panels being positioned between the two junction links extendingbetween said selected junctions.
 21. A combined ceiling support deviceand cable pathway according to claim 13, wherein a screw extendsdownwardly from said junctions to which a post is attached into threadedengagement with the upper portions of said posts whereby the posts canbe extended toward the floor by rotation.
 22. A combined ceiling supportdevice and cable pathway according to claim 16, wherein said ductscomprise two plates removably attached to respective junction links of apair of junction links.
 23. A combined ceiling support device and cablepathway according to claim 22, wherein the ducts further include bottomplates extending between at least some of the junctions.
 24. A combinedceiling support device, cable pathway and room divider, comprising aplurality of spaced apart junctions arranged in a predetermined arrayabove an area of a building, means for supporting said junctions,support means connected to said junctions for forming a grid over saidarea, said support means adapted to support a multiplicity of ceilingtiles to form a ceiling for said area, a multiplicity of cable ductsextending between at least some of said junctions for routing cable oversaid area, and a plurality of wall panels secured between selectedjunctions.
 25. A combined ceiling support device, cable pathway and roomdivider according to claim 24, including a post extending downwardlyfrom at least some of said junctions to the floor of the building, saidwall panels being secured to said posts.
 26. A combined ceiling supportdevice, cable pathway and room divider according to claim 25, wherein apair of junction links extend between adjacent junctions, and whereinsaid wall panels are each connected to a pair of junction links.
 27. Acombined ceiling support device, cable pathway and room divideraccording to claim 26, wherein said wall panels include means forreceiving cabling from said cable ducts and terminals connected to saidcabling for enabling users to connect devices to said cabling. aplurality of spaced apart junctions arranged in a predetermined arrayabove in area of a building. The junctions are supported on thesuperstructure of the building and posts connected to the junctionsextend to the floor. First and second paris of transverse rails areconnected to the junctions and form a grid over the area, the railsbeing adapted to support the ceiling tiles which form the ceiling forthe area. A multiplicity of cable ducts extend between the junctionsbeneath the transvese rails for routing cabling over the area. Wallpanels, supported between adjacent posts, can receive cabling from theoverhead ducts for connection to outlet terminals on the panels.